Powered by Ian Husselbeck’s fourth goal of the season, the Oswego State men’s soccer team (2-1-1) handed the RPI Engineers’ (2-1-1) their first loss of the season, 1-0, on Saturday, Sept. 12. 

The Lakers wasted no time making their mark, as standout midfielder Ian Husselbeck found the back of the net on the game’s first shot. The score came off of a powerful pass from Kieran Husselbeck, which Ian used to launch a cross-body shot that deflected off the hand of opposing goalkeeper Noah Churchill and trailed into the goal.

The Engineers upped their tempo as they attempted a trio of shots to end the first half, although the Lakers’ defense stood tall. Defenders Sean Gilligan and Ryan Bullis continually forced ball handlers into tough spots, putting an emphasis on physicality.

RPI controlled much of the game’s offensive possession in the second half, putting on five shots and four corner kicks within the first five minutes. However, Gilligan and company continued to headline an overpowering Lakers defense. The most crucial stop came in the 66th minute, when an outstretched Kyle Rose fended off a powerful attempt from Harrison Brownlow, making the stop en route to a 1-0 victory.

Looking back on the victory over a tough RPI side, head coach Dan Kane credits an efficient all-around performance as what assisted in the win.

“I was really impressed with our work rate…our communication made some tremendous strides,” Kane said. “Our 1v1 defending got a lot better, we limited our fouls and some of our young guys stepped up in our larger roles.”

The Lakers will continue their nonconference slate this weekend, when they face Ithaca (5-0-1), who is riding a three-game win streak.

Against an aggressive Bombers’ squad, Coach Kane hopes to clean up some technical aspects of the Lakers’ playstyle, despite their victory over the Engineers.

“We want to get the press better,” Coach Kane said. “We want to be better at our buildup, and we want to be better at valuing the ball when we’re in the mid-to-low block and trying to advance the ball forward.”